Normalization Agreements Encourage Israel to Construct more Settlement Units in West
Bethlehem/PNN/By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements ( nbprs ) stated in its latest weekly report, that the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain have signed normalization agreements with the Israeli occupation government in the White House-sponsored by the American administration. The Bahraini role in the signing ceremony was no more than a complementary and was only for media and political purposes, but normalization with the UAE was the real breakthrough.
This country is trying to present itself as a regional player in the region’s affairs, thus, it claims that it stands with the Palestinian people through preventing Israeli annexation of vast Palestinian areas of the West Bank. At the same time, Netanyahu in coordination with Beni Gatz has given green lights to the Higher Council of Construction at the Israeli Civil Administration for the approval of building 5,000 new settlement units in the West Bank.
In the context, the London-based Impact Foundation for Human Rights revealed a report about 112 Israeli companies that are working in the illegal seizure of real estate and property from Palestinians in the West Bank, including brokerage firms, Israeli Bank Leumi, and Bank Hapoalim, which are the institutions that are qualified for concluding big deals with official and private institutions in the United Arab Emirates. According to the report, those Zionist institutions have successfully contributed to accommodating more than half a million extremist Israeli settlers in hundreds of settlement units scattered throughout the occupied West Bank.
On the other hand, the Israeli government supports a settlement project in the West Bank as it provides generous assistance to illegal outposts in the so-called student villages of the “Kadama Association”, which provides guard services to the outposts. According to the association’s report, in 2018, it received the support of about NIS 4 million from the ministries of education and agriculture, and local authorities.
And the so-called “Kadma 3333” was established in 2013. Within the framework of this association’s work, eight student villages were established, six of them in the West Bank, in the settlements of Ma’aleh Ephraim, Al-Mouj, Shamaa, Bani Kidem, Rimonim, and Makhura, and 2 in kibbutzim Nir Oz in the environs of Gaza and Misgav General in the Galilee that accommodate about 300 students.
In recent years, this model of service has become a popular one, and as a means of developing settlements and outposts. It controls the largest area of land with the least number of inhabitants has found widespread popularity, whereby 11 outposts have been established in the form of agricultural farms in the West Bank since 2011.
In another context, the policy of demolishing homes and establishments of the Palestinians by the occupation authorities through various means to prevent them from using their lands for construction, where the Israeli Civil Administration and the so-called construction and organization inspector, specifically in areas C under the pretext that they are state lands or military areas or reserves, and are forbidden to build in. For this purpose, military orders are used, including Military Order No. 1797, which authorizes the occupation army to demolish orders within 96 hours.
The excitement of some of our European friends is truly eyebrow-raising.
Last month the Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi was invited by German foreign minister Heiko Maas to meet all European foreign ministers in the context of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
Palestine was not invited.
Regardless of any explanations with regards to EU-Israel relations, the occasion was seen as a reward for “suspending” a formal declaration of annexation.
In other words, Israel announces it will formalise a crime it is already committing, and when it says it won’t announce this “for some time”, some feel the immediate need to reward Israel, including conducting an association council.
The message is simple: de-facto annexation and other ongoing Israeli violations are not an obstacle to upgrade relations.
The internationally-agreed parameters for the Middle East peace process, endorsed by the European Union and its member states, are simple and are not up for interpretations: it is a two-state solution that fully ends the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 with East Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine and a solution to all final status issues based on international law and relevant UN resolutions.
Focusing on ending the occupation is key for any prospects of peace.
Rewards for the Israeli government in absence of any Israeli compliance with its obligations only serve to perpetuate the denial of Palestinian rights and the strengthening of an apartheid regime.
European relations with Palestine can be summarised in three main aspects: the political relations, with an alleged support for the two-state solution yet a majority of EU governments still refrain from recognising the state of Palestine – while noting that several European parliaments have been urging their governments to do so.
The economic/development aspect, including important European efforts towards building Palestinian institutions and providing support to the Palestinian economy, which has been gratefully sustained; and also the accountability aspect and respect for international law.
Here we find that after 53 years of an illegal colonial-settlement occupation, European countries still don’t have the willingness to hold Israel accountable for its systematic violations.
As the situation continues to deteriorate on the ground, with an unprecedented number of home demolitions and ongoing colonial-settlement expansion, we hear some representatives claiming that annexation is “off the table” and that therefore coordination with the Israeli side should be resumed.
No reference is made to the need for Israel to fulfil the agreements that enabled the existence of any coordination, including the Road Map, as well as its own obligations under international humanitarian law.
Most importantly, the Israeli government is not being asked to endorse two basic principles: the two-state solution and its obligations under international law.
No European government can claim that Palestine has not engaged them in trying to find a way out to the current situation.
We presented a document stating our positions for a final status agreement that are fully in line with their own positions as Europeans.
In the diplomatic side we have called for the realisation of an international peace conference that will facilitate a process of negotiations based on the internationally agreed parameters.
‘Insult to international law’
But some still asked us to present a counter-proposal to the US plan.
Whoever has read the US plan can easily conclude that it is an insult to international law and the most basic principles upon which the European Union has been founded upon.
Let us ask a rhetorical question. Would the European Union be allowed by its members to participate in a peace process based on any of the principles presented by the US Plan? The answer is simple: No.
This is a critical moment. The UAE-Israel agreement, welcomed by the European Union, represents a severe blow to the Arab Peace Initiative.
Referred to as the “Abraham Agreements”, the text represents a recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem and a direct threat to the status quo of Al Aqsa Mosque compound, and therefore to the Christian holy sites as well.
Both, the UAE-Israel agreement and those calling for closer European-Israeli ties, simply overlook peace in the Middle East as their priority.
They reward bad behaviour and criminal policies. The latest announcement made by Bahrain also goes in the same direction. Rewarding the Israeli occupation has proven to be a failed formula that won’t bring peace.
What the European countries can do is to accelerate the recognition of the state of Palestine on the borders of 1967 in accordance with international law and its principles that they believe in.
This political act will serve as a catalyst for peace and will inspire as a ray of hope in the hearts and minds of the Palestinian peace camp. This will truly lay the foundations for security, stability and real peace in the region.
Focusing on concrete measures to end the illegal Israeli colonial-settlement occupation, including accountability measures such as banning settlement products, and emphasising the internationally agreed parameters is the way to move forward.
This is how Israel will realise that regional peace and security don’t start in Abu Dhabi or elsewhere but here with a just peace agreement between Palestine and Israel on the basis of international law.
Dr Majdi Khaldi is the diplomatic affairs’ adviser for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign is asking for your support on the campaign to tackle PUMA’s sponsorship of the Israel Football Association and the lockdown inflicted on Palestinian sport by Israel’s actions.
More than 200 Palestinian sports clubs have publicly called for a boycott of multinational sportswear company PUMA because of the company’s sponsorship of the Israel Football Association [‘IFA’] which includes teams from illegal Israeli Settlements. Those settlements are built on stolen Palestinian land.
There have been two international #BoycottPUMA days of action in more than 20 countries and the #BoycottPUMA hashtag generated millions of impressions. We know the campaign is having an impact on PUMA - a Palestinian rights supporter recently had a chance encounter with a PUMA lawyer, who said, “You’re making our lives miserable.” Please give your support to the campaign to increase the pressure on PUMA by sending a clear message from sports fans and participants that PUMA should stop its sponsorship of the Israeli Football Association. You can do this by:
For more information about the Red Card PUMA campaign click on this link: https://bdsmovement.net/boycott-puma#why
Please circulate trequest widely among your friends and family.
Kings Heath Monthly Market Stall for Palestine
Saturday, 3rd Sept 2020 Visit the stall 9:30 pm to 1 pm
The Holy Land Group’s Palestinian stall at the Farmers Market, Kings Heath Birmingham
We are a small group concerned about the situation for Palestinians living under Israeli Military Occupation and the effect on the Israeli people. We called ourselves the Holy Land Group because we initially came together after a pilgrimage visit to the Holy Land; saw their suffering and wanted to do something to help.
About four years ago we started holding a stall at Kings Heath Farmers Market on the 1st Saturday of the month because we saw its potential for raising awareness and providing an outlet for the sale of Palestinian products. The next stall, will be on Saturday the 3rd of September between 10 am and 1 pm current Corona virus crisis permitting. Come and see us at the stall and stock up on Palestinian products including olive oil.
When people stop at our stall we like to engage them in conversation and we have on hand a variety of leaflets to deepen their interest. We want to support the initiatives of those working towards peace with justice in Palestine/Israel and have information from agencies such as Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Israeli Campaign against House Demolitions (ICAHD), Amos Trust, Sabeel/Kairos, Pax Christi, Ecumenical Accompaniers and others.
We hope to encourage people to engage in political activity and as needs arise we produce information about topical issues such as Annexation; and invite them to lobby their MP or the Foreign Office and others. We have had many wide ranging discussions at the stall, including from those with little information but interested to know more and from those who have wanted to have an outlet for their concern but have not known how.
We sell Palestinian products such as olive oil, dates, almonds, couscous, zaatar and olive oil soap
We have our regular customers for particularly olive oil because of its exceptional quality and olive oil soap which is good for sensitive skin.
We also sell their hand made products such as olive wood carvings, embroideries and ceramics. The traditional objects look attractive on the stall and attract interest. We think it is important to show Palestinians as a people of an ancient and rich culture to be admired and treasured. It is a reminder that one of tragedies of the Occupation is that it threatens the survival of a precious heritage which would be a loss not only to them but to the world as a whole.
We hope that we have been able to play our own small part in contributing to the overall campaign for Peace with Justice for all who live in the Holy Land, both Palestinians and Israelis. And we hope that this information is helpful for others who would consider setting up a stall in their area. It would be great if every Farmers Market in the country could have a stall.
Gill Myall for Holy Land Group
